Method and system for identifying light source and application thereof

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for identifying light source. The method includes receiving an infrared image of an environment captured by an imaging apparatus in a first configuration. The method also includes identifying, based on the infrared image, that a light source exists in the environment captured in the infrared image. The method further includes generating an order for changing the imaging apparatus from the first configuration to a second configuration.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation Application of InternationalApplication No. PCT/CN2018/125288 filed on Dec. 29, 2018, which claimspriority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201810044925.4 filed on Jan.17, 2018, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to image processing, and inparticular, to a method and apparatus for identifying a light source inan environment by way of image processing and application thereof.

BACKGROUND

With its rapid development, thermal imaging or infrared imaging iswidely used in various fields. An infrared imaging device may be used inan environment with poor lighting conditions due to its ability todetect infrared radiations emitted by an object in an environment andgenerate an infrared image accordingly. The infrared radiations aregenerally related to the thermal energy or temperature of the object.Thus, thermal imaging technology may be employed to detect objects in anenvironment or distinguish objects with different temperatures from eachother.

Although an infrared imaging device may be sensitive to infraredradiation and generally has a wide detection range in terms of energylevels of radiation sources, the infrared imaging device may be damagedby a light source with extremely high energy or temperature, such as thesun. The accuracy and detection range of the infrared imaging device maybe seriously reduced when the infrared imaging device is damaged. Inaddition, many infrared imaging devices are equipped with fire detectioncomponents and/or programs that may enable these infrared imagingdevices to identify fire spots and continuously monitor the identifiedfire spots. However, these infrared imaging devices may sometimesidentify a light source with extremely high energy or temperature (e.g.,the sun) as a fire spot, continuously monitor the light source, andhence be damaged.

Therefore, it is desired to provide a method and system forautomatically identifying a light source in an environment captured inan image that may cause damages to an imaging apparatus and protect theimaging apparatus from such identified light source.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus isprovided. The apparatus may include a processor and a storage devicestoring instructions. When executed by the processor, the instructionsmay cause the apparatus to perform operations. The operations mayinclude receiving an infrared image of an environment captured by animaging apparatus in a first configuration. The operations may includeidentifying, based on the infrared image, that a light source exists inthe environment captured in the infrared image. The operations mayinclude generating an order for changing the imaging apparatus from thefirst configuration to a second configuration.

In some embodiments, the apparatus may determine a grayscale level ofeach of a plurality of pixels in the infrared image. The apparatus maydetermine, the plurality of pixels based on the grayscale levels of theplurality of pixels, a set of target pixels from the plurality ofpixels, wherein the grayscale of each of the set of target pixelssatisfies a grayscale level condition. The apparatus may identify thatthe light source exists in the environment in response to thedetermination that the set of target pixels forms the target shape ofthe light source in the infrared image.

In some embodiments, the apparatus may determine a grayscale level ofeach of a plurality of pixels in the infrared image. The apparatus maydetermine, based on a shape detection algorithm, that the plurality ofpixels form at least one target shape of the light source in theinfrared image. The apparatus may determine a ratio of a count of pixelsin the target shape that have grayscale levels satisfying a grayscalelevel condition to a total count of pixels in the target shape for eachof the at least one target shape. The apparatus may determine that theratio corresponding to one of the at least one target shape exceeds aratio threshold. The apparatus may identify that the light source existsin the environment in response to the determination that the ratiocorresponding to one of the at least one target shape exceeds the ratiothreshold.

In some embodiments, the instructions may cause the apparatus to performadditional operations. The additional operations may include determiningwhether the identification of existence of the light source in theenvironment is a correct identification before generating the order forchanging the imaging apparatus from the first configuration to thesecond configuration. The additional operations may include generatingthe order for changing the imaging apparatus from the firstconfiguration to the second configuration in response to thedetermination that the identification of existence of the light sourcein the environment is a correct identification.

In some embodiments, the apparatus may receive at least one referenceinfrared image captured by the imaging apparatus in the firstconfiguration, wherein the at least one reference infrared image iscaptured later than when the infrared image is captured by a timeinterval. The apparatus may identify that the light source exists in theenvironment captured in the reference infrared image. The apparatus mayconfirm that the identification of existence of the light source in theenvironment captured in the infrared image is a correct identificationin response to the identification that the light source exists in theenvironment captured in the reference infrared image.

In some embodiment, the apparatus may determine at least one environmentparameter associated with the light source at a time when the infraredimage is captured. The apparatus may determine that the at least oneenvironment parameter satisfies at least one environment condition. Theapparatus may determine that the identification of existence of thelight source in the environment captured in the infrared image is acorrect identification in response to the determination that the atleast one environment parameter satisfies the at least one environmentcondition.

In some embodiments, the infrared image may be captured by a thermalimaging device in the imaging apparatus when a shutter of the thermalimaging device is open, and the order for changing the imaging apparatusfrom the first configuration to the second configuration includeschanging the shutter of the thermal imaging device from open to closed.

In some embodiments, the order for changing the imaging apparatus fromthe first configuration to the second configuration may includetemporarily removing an optical filter of an imaging device in theimaging apparatus.

In some embodiments, the imaging apparatus may include at least oneimaging device installed on a pan-tilt head, and the order for changingthe imaging apparatus from the first configuration to the secondconfiguration may include rotating the pan-tilt head to change the atleast one imaging device in the imaging apparatus from a firstorientation to a second orientation.

In some embodiments, the at least one imaging device may include avisible light imaging device and a thermal imaging device, and when thevisible light imaging device and the thermal imaging device areconfigured along an axis, the order for changing the imaging apparatusfrom the first configuration to the second configuration may includerotating the pan-tilt head in a plane that is oblique or perpendicularto the axis.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method mayinclude receiving an infrared image of an environment captured by animaging apparatus in a first configuration. The method may includeidentifying, based on the infrared image, that a light source exists inthe environment captured in the infrared image. The method may includegenerating an order for changing the imaging apparatus from the firstconfiguration to a second configuration.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitorycomputer readable medium embodying a computer program product isprovided. The computer program product may include instructionsconfigured to case a computing device to receive an infrared image of anenvironment captured by an imaging apparatus in a first configuration.The computer program product may include instructions configured to casea computing device to identify, based on the infrared image, that alight source exists in the environment captured in the infrared image.The computer program product may include instructions configured togenerate an order for changing the imaging apparatus from the firstconfiguration to a second configuration.

Additional features will be set forth in part in the description whichfollows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the artupon examination of the following and the accompanying drawings or maybe learned by production or operation of the examples. The features ofthe present disclosure may be realized and attained by practice or useof various aspects of the methodologies, instrumentalities, andcombinations set forth in the detailed examples discussed below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is further described in terms of exemplaryembodiments. These exemplary embodiments are described in detail withreference to the drawings. The drawings are not drawn to scale. Theseembodiments are non-limiting exemplary embodiments, in which likereference numerals represent similar structures throughout the severalviews of the drawings, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary imaging system 100according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary computing device accordingto some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary image processingdevice according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for generatingan order for changing the configuration of the imaging apparatusaccording to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for changing theconfiguration of the imaging apparatus based on the order according tosome embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for identifyinga light source in an environment according to some embodiments of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for identifyinga light source in an environment according to some embodiments of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B are schematic diagrams illustrating examples ofchanging the configurations of the imaging apparatus according to someembodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 9 is schematic diagrams illustrating an exemplary infrared imageaccording to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is presented to enable any person skilled inthe art to make and use the present disclosure and is provided in thecontext of a particular application and its requirements. Variousmodifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent tothose skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein maybe applied to other embodiments and applications without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the presentdisclosure is not limited to the embodiments shown but is to be accordedthe widest scope consistent with the claims.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularexample embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As usedherein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprise,”“comprises,” and/or “comprising,” “include,” “includes,” and/or“including,” when used in this specification, specify the presence ofstated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/orcomponents, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or moreother features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components,and/or groups thereof.

These and other features, and characteristics of the present disclosure,as well as the methods of operation and functions of the relatedelements of structure and the combination of portions and economies ofmanufacture, may become more apparent upon consideration of thefollowing description with reference to the accompanying drawings, allof which form a part of this disclosure. It is to be expresslyunderstood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose ofillustration and description only and are not intended to limit thescope of the present disclosure. It is understood that the drawings arenot to scale.

The flowcharts used in the present disclosure illustrate operations thatsystems implement according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. It is to be expressly understood, the operations of theflowchart may be implemented not in order. Conversely, the operationsmay be implemented in inverted order, or simultaneously. Moreover, oneor more other operations may be added to the flowcharts. One or moreoperations may be removed from the flowcharts.

In order to make the purpose, technical solution, and advantages of thepresent disclosure clearer, the present disclosure will be furtherdescribed in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawingsand embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodimentsdescribed herein are merely illustrative of the present disclosure andare not intended to limit the present disclosure.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure may be used in a situationthat the imaging apparatus faces a high-intensity light source (e.g.,the sun) that may damage some sensitive components (e.g., the infrareddetector, the optical filter, etc.) of the imaging apparatus. An imageprocessing device may detect the existence of the high-intensity lightsource based on an infrared image captured by the imaging apparatus or aportion thereof. The image processing device may generate an order toprotect the imaging apparatus from the high-intensity light. Forexample, if the imaging apparatus is mounted on a pan-tilt head, theorientation of the imaging apparatus may be changed by rotating thepan-tilt head.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary imaging system 100according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustratedin FIG. 1, the imaging system 100 may include an imaging apparatus 110,an image processing device 120, a base station 130, a storage device140, a network 150, and/or any other suitable component for processingimages in accordance with various embodiments of the disclosure.

The imaging apparatus 110 may capture an image of an environment. Thecaptured image may be an infrared image, image data, a visible lightimage, a grayscale image, etc. The captured image may include aplurality of pixels corresponding to infrared radiations or visiblelights generated by at least one light source in the environment. Insome embodiments, the imaging apparatus 110 may be any suitable devicethat is capable of generating an infrared image. For example, theimaging apparatus 110 may include an infrared camera, a thermal imagingsensor, an infrared image recorder, or the like, or any combinationthereof. In some embodiments, the imaging apparatus 110 may include oneor more cameras, such as a fixed camera, a fixed dome camera, a covertcamera, a Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) camera, a thermal camera, etc. The imagingapparatus 110 may include a plurality of sensors, such as an imagingsensor, a temperature sensor, a light sensor, a wind speed sensor, orthe like, or any combination thereof. The image(s) generated by theimaging apparatus 110 may be stored in the storage 140, and/or sent tothe image processing device 120 via the network 150. In someembodiments, the imaging apparatus 110 may be connected with the imageprocessing device 120 via the network 150. In some embodiments, theimaging apparatus 110 may be connected with the image processing device120 directly as indicated by the dashed bidirectional arrow linking theimaging apparatus 110 and the image processing device 120 illustrated inFIG. 1.

The image processing device 120 may obtain an image generated by theimaging apparatus 110 or retrieved from any component in the imagingsystem 100 (e.g., the storage 140). The obtained image may be processedby the image processing device 120. For example, the image processingdevice 120 may determine whether a light source exists in theenvironment or scene captured in the obtained image. The imageprocessing device 120 may further evaluate the correctness of thedetermination. In some embodiments, the image processing device 120 maybe integrated with the imaging apparatus 110 to form an integratedcomponent that may perform either or both of the functions of the imageprocessing device 120 and the imaging apparatus 110. The imageprocessing device 120 may generate an order based on the infrared image.The order may be used to control the imaging apparatus 110. For example,the order may be used to control the imaging apparatus 110 (e.g., acamera) to change its detecting direction. As another example, the ordermay be used to control the imaging apparatus 110 to change theconfiguration of a shutter (e.g., the position or orientation of ashutter) of the imaging apparatus 110.

The image processing device 120 may be any suitable device that iscapable of analyzing an image (e.g., an infrared image) and generating,based on the analysis, an order regarding the configuration of theimaging apparatus 110. For example, the image processing device 120 mayinclude a high-performance computing device specializing in dataprocessing, a personal computer, a portable device, a server, amicroprocessor, an integrated chip, a digital signal processor (DSP), atablet computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or the like, or acombination thereof. In some embodiments, the image processing device120 may be implemented on a computing device 200 shown in FIG. 2.

The network 150 may facilitate communications between various componentsof the imaging system 100. The network 150 may be a single network, or acombination of various networks. The network 150 may be a wired networkor a wireless network. The wired network may include a Local AreaNetwork (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a ZigBee™, or the like, or acombination thereof. The wireless network may include a Bluetooth™, aNear Field Communication (NFC), a wireless local area network (WLAN),Wi-Fi™, a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), or the like, or acombination thereof. The network 150 may also include various networkaccess points, e.g., wired or wireless access points such as the basestations 130 or Internet exchange points through which a data source mayconnect to the network 150 to transmit data via the network 150.

The storage device 140 may store data, image related information orparameters. The data may include an infrared image (e.g., an infraredimage obtained by the imaging apparatus 110), a grayscale image and/orcommunication data. The image related information may include a feature(e.g., pixel values) related to object(s) (e.g., the sun) in the image,frequency domain information of the image, etc. The image relatedparameter may include an intrinsic parameter (e.g., a focal length, alens distortion parameter), and/or an extrinsic parameter (e.g., thepose of a camera, a position parameter of the camera) of the imagingapparatus 110 (e.g., camera) that generates or capture the image.

It should be noted that the descriptions above of the imaging system 100is provided for the purposes of illustration, and not intended to limitthe scope of the present disclosure. For persons having ordinary skillsin the art, various variations and modifications may be conducted underthe guidance of the present disclosure. However, those variations andmodifications shall not depart the scope of the present disclosure. Insome embodiments, the storage device 140 may be combined with the imageprocessing device 120 as a single device. Similar modifications shouldfall within the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary computing device accordingto some embodiments of the present disclosure. One or more components ofimaging system 100 (e.g., image processing device 120) may beimplemented in computing device 200, which may be configured to performone or more functions of imaging system 100 (e.g., one or more functionsof image processing device 120) disclosed in this disclosure. Computingdevice 200 may include a bus 210, a processor 220, a read only memory(ROM) 230, a random access memory (RAM) 240, a storage device 250, aninput/output port 260, and a communication interface 270.

The imaging apparatus 110 may include an infrared camera 116 and/or avisible light camera 118 with an optical filter 112. The imagingapparatus 110 may include a protective cover 114. In some embodiments,the computing device 200 may be a single device. Alternatively, thecomputing device 200 may include a plurality of devices. One or morecomponents of the computing device 200 may be implemented by one or moreindependent devices. For example, the processor 220 and the storagedevice 250 may be implemented in a same device. Alternatively, theprocessor 220 and the storage device 250 may be implemented in differentdevices, and the processor 220 may access the storage device 250 throughwired or wireless connection (via, for example, the network 150).

Bus 210 may couple various components of computing device 200 andfacilitate the transfer of data between them. Bus 210 can be any busstructure, including, for example, a memory bus or memory controller, aperipheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of busarchitectures.

I/O port 260 may be configured to allow the transfer of data betweencomputing device 200 and other components of imaging system 100 (e.g.,imaging apparatus 110). I/O port 260 may include a Universal Serial Bus(USB) port, a Component Object Mode (COM) port, PS/2 port, HighDefinition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) port, Video Graphics Array (VGA)port, or the like. Communication interface 270 may allow transfer ofdata between network 150 and computing device 200. Communicationinterface 270 may be a network interface card (NIC).

Processor 220 may include any general-purpose processor configured toperform one or more functions of the computing device 200 disclosed inthis disclosure. The processor 220 may contain multiple cores orprocessors, cache, etc. A multicore processor can be symmetric orasymmetric. The processor 220 may essentially be a completelyindependent computing system with similar structure as computing device200. The processor 220 may receive the infrared image from the imagingapparatus 110. The processor 220 may identify the existence of a lightsource in the infrared image. To improve the accuracy of theidentification, the processor 220 may exclude some falseidentifications. The processor 220 may change the imaging apparatus 110from a first configuration to a second configuration.

ROM 230, RAM 240, and storage device 250 may be configured to storedata, e.g., data 252. ROM 230 may store a basic input/output (BIOS)which may provide the basic routine that helps to transfer informationbetween devices/components within computing device 200, such as duringinitializing of a computer operating system. Storage device 250 mayprovide nonvolatile storage for data 252. Storage device 250 may connectto bus 210 through a drive interface. Storage device 250 may include ahard disk, a solid state disk (SSD), a flash memory card, a magneticdisk drive, an optical disk drive, tape drive, or the like.

ROM 230, RAM 240, and/or storage device 250 may store computer readableinstructions that can be executed by processor 220 to perform one ormore functions disclosed in this disclosure (e.g., the functions ofimage processing device 120, imaging apparatus 110). Computer readableinstructions may be packaged as a software or firmware. Data structuresmay include a tree structure, a linked list, a neural network, a graphstructure, or the like, or their variants, or the combination thereof.Temporary data may be data generated by processor 220 when processor 220performs computer readable instructions.

Data 252 may include raw imaging data or code implementing computerreadable instructions, data structures, images, temporary data, andothers. Data 252 may be transferred through bus 210 to RAM 240 beforebeing processed by processor 220.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary image processingdevice according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shownin FIG. 3, the image processing device 120 may include an obtainingmodule 310, an identification module 320, a determination module 330,and an execution module 340.

The obtaining module 310 may be configured to receive an infrared imageof an environment captured by an imaging apparatus 110 in a firstconfiguration. The imaging apparatus 110 may include at least onethermal imaging apparatus. The thermal imaging apparatus may generatethe infrared image according to a thermal imaging sensor (e.g., aninfrared detector). The first configuration may be a normalconfiguration under which the imaging apparatus 110 captures an infraredimage. The obtaining module 310 may send the infrared image of theenvironment to the identification module 320.

The identification module 320 may be configured to determine whether alight source exists in the environment captured in the infrared image.Exemplary light sources may include a human body, an animal, a vehicle,an electric wire, the sun, a steel making furnace, a light bulb, alighting fixture, etc. The identification module 320 may determine thetemperature of one or more objects in the monitored environment capturedin the infrared image. The identification module 320 may determine,e.g., grayscale levels of a plurality of pixels in the infrared image,the shape of a group of pixels having similar grayscale levels, or thelike. After analyzing the grayscale levels and the shape, theidentification module 320 may identify the existence of the light sourcein the environment captured in the infrared image.

The determination module 330 may be configured to determine whether theidentification that the light source exists in the environment (e.g.,the identification performed by the identification module 320) is acorrect identification. The determination module 330 may improve theaccuracy of the identification. After the identification module 320identifies a candidate light source, the determination module 330 maydetermine one or more parameters including, e.g., the current time,weather, and the duration of the existence of the candidate light sourceand determine whether the identification of the light source is acorrect identification based on one or more such parameters.

The execution module 340 may be configured to generate an order forchanging the imaging apparatus 110 from the first configuration to asecond configuration. The aim of the order may be to protect the imagingapparatus 110 from damages by a destructive light source. The executionmodule 340 may change at least one components of the imaging apparatus110 to avoid the danger of such damages. The execution module 340 maydetermine a current configuration (or referred to as a firstconfiguration) of the imaging apparatus 110 that may cause the imagingapparatus 110 to change from the current configuration to a secondconfiguration based on the generated order.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for generatingan order for changing the configuration of an imaging apparatusaccording to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In someembodiments, process 400 may be implemented on the image processingsystem 100 as illustrated in FIG. 1. For example, the process 400 may bestored in a storage medium (e.g., the storage 140, the storage device250 of the computing device 200) in the form of instructions, andinvoked and/or executed by the image processing device 120. Theoperations in the process 400 presented below are intended to beillustrative. In some embodiments, the process 400 may be accomplishedwith one or more additional operations not described, and/or without oneor more of the operations discussed. Additionally, the order in whichthe operations of the process 400 as illustrated in FIG. 4 and describedbelow are not intended to be limiting.

In 410, the obtaining module 310 may receive an infrared image of anenvironment captured by an imaging apparatus in a first configuration.The imaging apparatus 110 may include at least one thermal imagingdevice. The at least one thermal imaging device may include an infraredcamera, a binocular imaging device including both an infrared camera(e.g., the infrared camera 116) and a visible light camera (e.g., thevisible light camera 118), a visible light camera with a thermal imagingsensor, or the like, or any combination thereof. The visible lightcamera 118 may have a threshold component (e.g., an optical filter) toattenuate at least a portion (e.g., a particular color or group ofcolors) of received visible light(s) to a lower level such that theattenuated portion of the received visible light cannot be detected bythe visible light camera 118. The thermal imaging sensor may include aninfrared detector (e.g., the infrared detector 116) that reacts toinfrared radiation (s) to generate voltage change(s). In someembodiments, the infrared detector 116 may detect and/or measure theinfrared energy of an object based on the voltage changes. The infrareddetector 116 may be made of vanadium oxide, mercury cadmium telluride,indium arsenide, polysilicon or the like, or any combination thereof.The infrared detector 116 may be a polysilicon detector.

The image processing device 120 may focus infrared energy of an objectonto an infrared detector chip that contains a plurality of detectorpixels arranged in a grid. Each detector pixel may react to the infraredenergy focused on it and produce an electronic signal. The imageprocessing device 120 may take the signal from each pixel and apply amathematical calculation to it to create a color map of the apparenttemperature of the object (different temperature values may be assigneddifferent colors). The color map may be sent to the storage device 250and/or to the I/O port 260. In some embodiments, a grayscale image maybe generated based on the color map. For example, the grayscale imagemay be generated by converting the color at each detector pixel to agrayscale value. Merely by way of example, the color map or thegrayscale image may correspond to an infrared energy distribution ofobjects in the environment captured by the imaging apparatus 110. Unlikea normal black-and-white image, the infrared grayscale image may becomposed exclusively of shades of gray varying from black at the weakestintensity to white at the strongest intensity. The infrared energy ofthe objects in the environment may be proportional to the temperature ofthe objects. If the temperature of an object is high, the correspondinggrayscale value in the grayscale image may be large (e.g., whiter).Specifically, the grayscale value of pixels of the sun in a grayscaleimage may be close to a saturated value (or maximum value) of thegrayscale image. For example, the corresponding grayscale value ofpixels corresponding to the sun may be approximately 16383 in a 14-bitgrayscale image, which may be higher than the majority of other objects.The appearance of pixels corresponding to the sun may be almost white inthe 14-bit grayscale image. In some embodiments, the grayscale image maybe generated directly by the infrared detector 116. For example, theinfrared detector 116 may measure infrared energy based on the infraredradiation spectrum of an object. The infrared radiation spectrum of anobject may show characteristic dips and peaks when photons are absorbedor emitted by electrons in molecules as they transition between orbits,or energy levels. The infrared detector 116 may measure the intensity ofeach pixels to generate the grayscale image.

The first configuration of the imaging apparatus 110 may be a normalconfiguration under which the imaging apparatus 110 captures an infraredimage of an environment or scene. In some embodiments, the imagingapparatus 110 may include the infrared detector 116. For example, underthe first configuration of the imaging apparatus 110, a shutter of theinfrared detector 116 may be open. In some embodiments, the imagingapparatus 110 may have a protective cover 114, and under the firstconfiguration the protective cover 114 may be not in use, e.g., foldedup on the top or bottom surface of the imaging apparatus 110, retracted,or the like. In some embodiments, the imaging apparatus 110 may beinstalled on a pan-tilt head (e.g., pan-tilt head 803 as shown in FIG.8), and under the first configuration the pan-tilt head may be at afirst position (e.g., a position such that the imaging apparatus 110orients toward the environment or scene it monitors). The imagingapparatus 110 may further include a visible light imaging deviceconfigured to capture visible light images. Under the firstconfiguration of the imaging apparatus 110, an optical filter of thevisible light imaging device may be in use, e.g., placed between thelens of the visible light imaging device and the environment an image ofwhich the visible light imaging device may capture.

In 420, the identification module 320 may determine whether a lightsource exists in the environment. For example, the light source mayinclude both natural and artificial objects that emit infrared light andenergy. Exemplary light sources may include a human body, an animal, avehicle, a nuclear reactor, a steel making furnace, an electric wire,the sun, etc. In some embodiments, the “light source” may be a specificterm used in this disclosure as a reference to an infrared lightemitting object that satisfies a preset condition (an object in theenvironment that does not satisfy the preset condition(s) may simply bereferred to as an “object” and not processed in operations 420-440). Thepreset condition(s) may be related to the temperature and/or thegrayscale value of the object in the grayscale image. For example, thepreset condition may include that the temperature and/or grayscale ofthe object being greater than, less than, or equal to a specific valueor within a range of values. If the temperature and/or the grayscalesatisfies the present condition(s), the identification module 320 mayidentify the object as the light source. The preset condition mayfurther include that the shape of the object in the infrared imagematching with a preset shape. The preset shape may include a circle, atriangle, a rectangle, a polygon, a bar, a curve, or the like, or anycombination thereof. Merely by way of example, the light source may bethe sun. The grayscale value of the sun may be 16383 in a 14-bitgrayscale image. Merely by way of example, for a 14-bit grayscale image(e.g., a grayscale image of which each pixel can take a value from zeroto 2¹⁴−1), the preset condition may include the grayscale value beinggreater than 15563 (16383*0.9≈15563) and the shape being circular.

As another example, the imaging system 100 may be used to monitor asteel factory, e.g., to protect raw materials (e.g., iron ores) orproducts (e.g., steel) from being stolen or damaged, or to monitorpersonnel working onsite. When monitoring the steel making factory, theimaging apparatus 110 of the imaging system 100 may change the detectingdirection and orient toward a steeling making furnace which is at a hightemperature (e.g., about 1600-1800 degrees Celsius). In this case, thelight source may be a steel making furnace in a steel making factory.The steel making furnace may be a cylindrical tank containing molteniron and/or other materials. The grayscale value of the steel makingfurnace may typically be about 5000 in a 14-bit grayscale image. Merelyby way of example, for a 14-bit grayscale image, the preset conditionmay include the grayscale value being greater than 4500 (5000*0.9=4500)and the shape being rectangular (when the image is captured from a sideof the steel making furnace), circular (when the image is captured fromthe top of the steel making furnace), or a shape formed by two arcs andtwo straight lines (when the image is captured from an obliquedirection). In order to distinguish the steel making furnace from theenvironment, the preset temperature condition may include the grayscalevalue being greater than 4500 and less than 6000.

In response to the determination that a light source exists in theenvironment, the process 400 may proceed to 430; otherwise, the process400 may return to 410. In 410, the obtaining module 310 may repeatedlyobtain anew infrared image to determine if a light source of interestexists in the environment captured in the new infrared image. Moredescriptions regarding the light source identification may be foundelsewhere in the present disclosure, e.g., FIG. 6 and FIG. 7.

In 430, the determination module 330 may determine whether theidentification that the light source exists in the environment (e.g.,the identification preformed in 420) is a correct identification. Insome embodiments, the determination module 330 may obtain at least onepreset condition of the light source and/or the environment. Forexample, the at least one preset condition may include the duration oflight emission from the light source, the duration that the light sourceexists in the environment, weather in the environment, etc. For example,if the light source that the imaging apparatus 110 intends to identifynormally emits light continuously, the identification of a light sourcethat emits light temporarily or sporadically (e.g., lasting for a fewmilliseconds) may be a false identification. Merely by way of example,the light source may be the sun. The initial identification of the sunas a light source in the environment by the identification module 320may be double checked based on duration of light emission from theidentified light source, current weather in the environment when theimage is captured, a current time when the image is captured, or thelike, or any combination thereof. For example, after the identificationmodule 320 identifies a candidate light source with high grayscalevalues and a round shape as the sun (or a candidate sun), thedetermination module 330 may determine the current time, current weathercondition, and the duration of the candidate light source emitting lightor energy. Specifically, if the current time is 06:00 or 22:00 (or anytime that the sun does not normally appear depending on the latitude ofthe location where the imaging system 100 is installed), anidentification of the sun in the infrared image may be deemed a falseidentification. If the weather is cloudy or snowy (or any weather thatthe sun does not normally appear), the identification may be deemedfalse. If the duration of the candidate light source is less than athreshold (e.g., 10 minutes), the identification may be deemed false. Asanother example, after the identification module 320 identifies acandidate light source with high grayscale values and a target shape (asmentioned in 420 and the descriptions thereof) as the steel makingfurnace (or a candidate steel making furnace), the determination module330 may determine the current time, the current operating status of thesteel making factory (either it is open or closed), and the duration ofthe candidate light source emitting light or energy. Specifically, ifthe current time is 3:00 or 23:00 (or any time that the steel makingfurnace does not normally operate), an identification of the steelmaking furnace in the infrared image may be deemed a falseidentification. If the steel making factory is closed, theidentification may be deemed false. If the duration of the candidatelight source is less than a threshold (e.g., 1 minute), theidentification may be deemed false. In response to a correctidentification, the process 400 may proceed to 440; otherwise, theprocess 400 may return to 410. In 410, the obtaining module 310 mayobtain a new infrared image to determine if a light source of interestexists in the environment captured in the new infrared image.

In 440, the execution module 340 may generate an order for changing theimaging apparatus from the first configuration to a secondconfiguration. For example, if the light source is determined to be thesun, strong sunlight may destroy or damage some sensitive components inthe imaging apparatus 110. It is understood that the sun is provided asan example for illustration purposes, and the light source of interestmay be another object (e.g., a steel making furnace) that provideshigh-intensity light or energy that may damage the imaging apparatus 110or a portion thereof. The first configuration may be a normalconfiguration under which the imaging apparatus captures an infraredimage of an environment or scene. In some embodiments, under the firstconfiguration, the imaging apparatus 110 may receive infrared light in afirst detecting direction. When the sun is identified to exist in theenvironment captured in the infrared image, the order may includechanging the imaging apparatus 110 to a second configuration under whichthe imaging apparatus 110 is configured at a second detecting direction.In some embodiments, the shutter of the infrared detector 116 may beopen under the first configuration while closed under the secondconfiguration of the imaging apparatus 110. In some embodiments, theimaging apparatus 110 may include the protective cover 114, and underthe second configuration, the protective cover 114 may be in use, e.g.,covering and protecting the imaging apparatus 110. In some embodiments,the imaging apparatus 110 may be mounted on a pan-tilt head, and underthe second configuration the pan-tilt head may be at a second position(e.g., a position such that the orientation of the imaging apparatus 110and/or any camera thereof may be oriented away from the light source).In some embodiments, the imaging apparatus 110 may further include avisible light camera 118 with an optical filter (e.g., the opticalfilter 112) configured to capture visible light images. Under the secondconfiguration, the optical filter 112 of the visible light camera 118may be retracted or otherwise not in its working position. In someembodiments, a change of the configuration of the imaging apparatus 110may include an adjustment of a detecting direction, a shutter, aprotective cover (e.g., the protective cover 114), a pan-tilt head, orthe like, or a combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the identified light source does not continuouslyexist in the environment at a high infrared light strength (ortemperature). For example, the sun does not exist in the environment (ormay not be identified in the infrared image of the environment) at nightor before dawn. As another example, when it begins to rain or becomescloudy, the strength of infrared light(s) of the sun detectable in theenvironment may be significantly reduced, e.g., to a level that is notharmful to the imaging apparatus 110. After changing the imagingapparatus 110 from the first configuration to the second configuration,the execution module 340 may generate temporary order(s) for temporarilychanging the imaging apparatus 110 from the second configuration to athird configuration.

The third configuration may be the same as or different from the firstconfiguration. For example, the third configuration may be the same asthe first configuration except that one or more components of theimaging apparatus 110 work at a different mode compared to the imagingapparatus 110 under the first configuration. As an example, the visiblelight camera 118 does not work under the third configuration, theinfrared camera 116 works under a different setting (shutter being onlypartially open, not directly facing the identified light source but awayfrom the identified light source by an angle) the third configurationcompared to the first configuration. In some embodiments, under thethird configuration, the infrared camera 116 may function when theshutter is only partially open, when the infrared camera 116 does notdirectly face the identified light source but face a direction away fromthe identified light source by an angle, or the like, or a combinationthereof. The imaging apparatus 110 may capture a test infrared imagewhen changed to the third configuration. The determination module 430may process the test infrared image and determine whether the identifiedlight source still exists in the environment, whether a new light sourcethat may damage the imaging apparatus 110 or a portion thereof exists inthe environment, and/or whether the grayscale value of the identifiedlight source in the test infrared image drops below a preset grayscalevalue (e.g., the grayscale value in the preset condition as mentioned in420).

When it is determined that the identified light source remains in theenvironment at a high infrared light strength (e.g., may still damagethe imaging apparatus 110 or a portion thereof) or a new light sourcethat may damage the imaging apparatus 110 or a portion thereof isidentified in the environment, the execution module 440 may generate anorder for changing the imaging apparatus 110 from the thirdconfiguration back to the second configuration. When it is determinedthat the identified light source no long exists in the environment, orthe grayscale value of the identified light source in a test infraredimage is below a preset grayscale value (e.g., no longer damages theimaging apparatus 110), and no new light source that may damage theimaging apparatus 110 or a portion thereof is identified in the testinfrared image, the execution module 340 may generate an order to changethe imaging apparatus 110 from the third configuration to the firstconfiguration. In some embodiments, the temporary order(s) may begenerated after the imaging apparatus 110 is changed from the firstconfiguration to the second configuration in 440. In some embodiments,according to the temporary order, the imaging apparatus 110 to mayacquire a test infrared image periodically at a time interval. Theintervals may include but not limited to one minute, 10 minutes, 30minutes, one hour, four hours, etc. Alternatively or additionally,information acquired by one or more sensors may be used to set theconfiguration of the imaging apparatus 110. The one or more sensors mayinclude but not limited to an imaging sensor, a thermometer, a lightsensor, a wind speed sensor, a humidity sensor, a rain sensor, etc. Forexample, when a thermometer records a decrease in temperature and thehumidity sensor records an increase in humidity, the determinationmodule 330 may determine that it starts to rain, and cause the executionmodule 340 to generate the temporary order for changing the imagingapparatus 110 to the third configuration.

It should be noted that the above description of process 400 is merelyprovided for the purposes of illustration, and not intended to beunderstood as the only embodiment. For persons having ordinary skills inthe art, various variations and modifications may be conduct under theteaching of some embodiments of the present disclosure. In someembodiments, some operations may be reduced or added. However, thosevariations and modifications may not depart from the protection of someembodiments of the present disclosure. For example, one or more otheroptional operations (e.g., calculation operation) may be added in theexemplary process 500. In the calculation operation, the identificationmodule 320 may calculate the temperature of objects in the monitoringenvironment according to the grayscale image.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for changing theconfiguration of the imaging apparatus based on the order according tosome embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, theprocess 500 may be implemented on the image processing system 100 asillustrated in FIG. 1. For example, the process 500 may be stored in astorage medium (e.g., the storage 140, or the storage device 250 of thecomputing device 200) in the form of instructions, and invoked and/orexecuted by the image processing device 120. The operations in theprocess 500 presented below are intended to be illustrative. In someembodiments, the process 500 may be accomplished with one or moreadditional operations not described, and/or without one or more of theoperations discussed. Additionally, the order in which the operations ofthe process 500 as illustrated in FIG. 5 and described below are notintended to be limiting.

In 510, the obtaining module 310 may receive an order for changing theimaging apparatus from the first configuration to a secondconfiguration. The order for changing the imaging apparatus 110 from thefirst configuration to a second configuration may be generated byoperation 440. In some embodiments, the order for changing imagingapparatus from the first configuration to the second configuration maybe generated after a light source (e.g., the sun) is deemed to exist inthe environment captured in an infrared image captured by the imagingapparatus 110. The order may be implemented by the imaging apparatus 110and/or the execution module 340 to change at least one component in theimaging apparatus 110 such that the danger of damages by the identifiedlight source to the imaging apparatus 110 may be reduced or avoided.

In 520, the determination module 330 may determine whether the imagingapparatus is a thermal imaging device. The thermal imaging device mayinclude an infrared camera and/or a visible light camera 118 with aninfrared detector 116. When the thermal imaging device is exposed tohigh-intensity light sources (e.g., the sun, the steel making furnace)for a long time, high temperature may cause irreversible damage to thethermal imaging device (e.g., the infrared detector 116). In response tothe determination that the imaging apparatus 110 is a thermal imagingdevice, process 500 may proceed to 525; otherwise, process 500 mayproceed to operation 530. In 525, the execution module 340 may change ashutter of the thermal imaging device from open (e.g., the firstconfiguration) to closed (e.g., the second configuration). It should benoted that in some cases the imaging apparatus 110 may be a thermalimaging device that does not include any shutter or the shutter cannotbe changed. In these cases, process 500 may also proceed to 530.

In 530, the determination module 330 may determine whether the imagingapparatus 110 includes a visible light imaging device. The visible lightimaging device may include a visible light camera 118. In someembodiments, an optical filter may be used in the visible light camera118. The optical filter may transmit light of different wavelengthsselectively. Long exposures against light sources (e.g., the sun, thesteel making furnace) may cause permanent damage to the optical filter.In response to the determination that the imaging apparatus 110 includesa visible light imaging device, process 500 may proceed to operation535; otherwise, process 500 may proceed to operation 540. In 535, theexecution module 340 may move the optical filter from a firstconfiguration (e.g., a first position where visible light from theenvironment transmits through or a first position between visible lightlens and the environment) to a second configuration (e.g., a secondposition where visible light from the environment does not transmitthrough or a second position that is not between the visible light lensand the environment). It should be noted that in some cases the imagingapparatus 110 may include a visible light imaging device that does notinclude any optical filter or the optical filter cannot be moved. Inthese cases, process 500 may proceed to 540.

In 540, the determination module 330 may determine whether the imagingapparatus 110 is installed on a pan-tilt head. The pan-tilt head may bea pivoted support that allows multi-directional rotations of the imagingapparatus 110. The pan-tilt head may be caused to rotate the imagingapparatus 110 automatically controlled by the execution module 340 ormanually via a user instruction through communication interface 270. Inresponse to the determination that the imaging apparatus 110 isinstalled on the pan-tilt head, the process 500 may proceed to 545;otherwise, the process 500 may proceed to 550. In 545, the executionmodule 340 may rotate the pan-tilt head from a first orientation (e.g.,the first configuration) to a second orientation (e.g., the secondconfiguration) to change the detecting direction n of the imagingapparatus 110. In some embodiments, the arrangement of the imagingapparatus 110, e.g., the positions of cameras of the imaging apparatus110 may result in a different rotation direction of the pan-tilt head.More descriptions regarding the rotation directions of the pan-tilt headmay be found elsewhere in the present disclosure, e.g., FIG. 8 and thedescriptions thereof. It should be noted that in some cases the imagingapparatus 110 may be installed on a pan-tilt head that cannot be rotatedor the rotation of the pan-tilt head is not enough to protect theimaging apparatus 110 away from identified light source. In these cases,process 500 may proceed to 550.

In 550, the determination module 330 may determine whether the imagingapparatus 110 has a protective cover. The protective cover may be afoldable, retractable, and/or detachable cover that can protect theimaging apparatus from damage by a light source. In response to thedetermination that the imaging apparatus 110 has the protective cover,process 500 may proceed to 555; otherwise, process 500 may proceed to560. In 555, the execution module 340 may change the protective coverfrom a first configuration (e.g., not in use, folded up on the top orbottom surface of the imaging apparatus 110, retracted, or detached fromthe imaging apparatus 110 or a portion thereof) to a secondconfiguration (e.g., being in use, extended, attaching to or coveringthe imaging apparatus 110 or a portion thereof). It should be noted thatin some cases the imaging apparatus 110 may have a protective cover butthe protective cover cannot be used or the protective cover is notsufficient to protect the imaging apparatus 110. In these cases, process500 may proceed to 560.

In 560, the execution module 340 may send a notification to a user. Thenotification may include information notifying the existence of a lightsource. The notification may notify the user to investigate theenvironment and/or adjust the imaging apparatus 110, e.g., manually (byproviding a user instruction to cause an adjustment of the apparatus 110or a portion thereof, or directly adjusting the imaging apparatus 110 ora portion thereof manually). Meanwhile, the execution module 340 maysend image(s) captured to the user such that the user may evaluatewhether the light source exists in the image(s). The evaluation oradjustment of the user may be provided to the determination module 330to improve the accuracy of subsequent determinations made by thedetermination module 330. The execution module 340 may send thenotification to the user's mobile computing device, tablet computer,laptop computer, smart home service, desktop computer or the like, orany combination thereof via the network 150. The mobile computer mayinclude a wearable device, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant(PDA), or the like, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, one or more operations may be added or omitted. Forexample, operations 520 and 530 may be merged into one operation orperformed essentially simultaneously as two parallel operation. Asanother example, a post-processing operation may be added after 560. Theuser may individually perform operations 525, 535, 545, and/or 555. Insome embodiments, the order of the operations in process 500 may bechanged. For example, operations 520 to 520 may be performedsimultaneously or in any order. In some embodiments, at least twooperations of 525, 535, 545, or 555 may be performed cumulatively.Merely by way of example, after 525 is performed, the process 500 mayproceed to any one of 530, 540, 550 to check whether one or moreadditional protective operations of 535, 545, or 555 may be performed.The order of the operations may be changed. Merely by way of example,530 and 535 directed to the optical filter may be performed before 520and 525 directed to the shutter.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for identifyinga light source in an environment according to some embodiments of thepresent disclosure. In some embodiments, the process 600 may beimplemented on the image processing system 100 as illustrated in FIG. 1.For example, the process 600 may be stored in a storage medium (e.g.,the storage 140, or the storage device 250 of the computing device 200)in the form of instructions, and invoked and/or executed by the imageprocessing device 120. The operations in the process 600 presented beloware intended to be illustrative. In some embodiments, the process 600may be accomplished with one or more additional operations notdescribed, and/or without one or more of the operations discussed.Additionally, the order in which the operations of the process 600 asillustrated in FIG. 6 and described below are not intended to belimiting. The process 600 provides an example of the identification of alight source as illustrated in 420.

In 610, the obtaining module 310 may receive an infrared image of anenvironment captured by an imaging apparatus in a first configuration.More descriptions of receiving the infrared image may be found elsewherein the present disclosure, e.g., 410 in FIG. 4, and descriptionsthereof. In some embodiments, the obtaining module 310 may send theinfrared image of the environment to the identification module 320.

In 620, the identification module 320 may determine a grayscale level ofeach of a plurality of pixels in the infrared image. For example, if theinfrared image is a 14-bits grayscale image, the grayscale value of eachpixel may take a value from 0 to 2¹⁴−1. Unlike a black-and-white visiblelight image, the grayscale image may be composed exclusively of shadesof gray from black at the weakest intensity to white at the strongestintensity. The grayscale value may be higher (e.g., whiter) if thetemperature of the light source is higher, and the grayscale value maybe lower (e.g., darker) if the temperature of the light source is lower.The infrared detector 116 may measure and detect the thermal radiationof the light source in the environment to obtain grayscale valuescorresponding to the pixels of the light source in the infrared image.For example, the infrared detector 116 may generate a color map based onthe detected thermal radiations in the environment and generate agrayscale image based on the color map. As another example, the infrareddetector 116 may generate the grayscale image directly.

In 630, the identification module 320 may determine, among the pluralityof pixels and based on the grayscale levels of pixels, a set of targets.The grayscale value of each of the set of target pixels may satisfy acondition relating to the grayscale level (or referred to as a grayscalelevel condition for brevity). The set of target pixels may be the pixelsrepresenting a target light source. For example, if the target lightsource is the sun, the set of target pixels may correspond to thethermal radiation level and position of the sun in the grayscale image.The grayscale level condition may be a grayscale value threshold or agrayscale value range used to distinguish the target light source fromother objects. Specifically, the grayscale value of the sun may be closeto a saturated grayscale value of the grayscale image. For instance, thecorresponding grayscale value of the sun may be approximately 16383 inthe 14-bits grayscale image, which may be higher than the majority ofobjects. The grayscale level condition may be a grayscale valuethreshold slightly less than 16383, e.g., 15000, 16000, 15563. Forexample, if the grayscale level condition is 15563, pixels withgrayscale values greater than 15563 may be assigned to the set of targetpixels.

In 640, the identification module 320 may determine, based on a shapedetection algorithm, whether the set of target pixels forms a targetshape of the light source in the infrared image. The shape detectionalgorithm of the present disclosure may include but not limited to acentre-of-gravity technique, a least squares fitting algorithm, a Houghtransform algorithm, or the like, or any combination thereof. If theuser wants to detect whether the sun exists in the environment, thetarget shape of the light source may be a circle or a portion thereof(e.g., an arc of a circle in cases, e.g., the sun being obscured byother objects or the sun being at the edge of the infrared image). Theset of target pixels that forms substantially the target shape may beregarded as corresponding to the sun. In response to the determinationthat the set of target pixels forms substantially a target shape of thelight source in the infrared image, process 600 may proceed to 650;otherwise, process 600 may proceed back to 610. As used herein, formingsubstantially a target shape may indicate that the deviation of theshape the set of target pixels form from the target shape is acceptable.The deviation may be assessed based on a degree of similarity betweenthe shape that the set of target pixels form and the target shape. Insome embodiments, the degree of similarity may be determined using asimilar shape searching algorithm (e.g., Perceptual hash algorithm(PHA)), a feature matching algorithm (e.g., Scale-invariant featuretransform (SIFT), Speeded Up Robust Features (SURF)), or the like, orany combination thereof.

If the degree of similarity between the shape that the set of targetpixels form and the target shape is greater than a threshold (e.g., 70%,80%, 90%, 95%, 99%), the deviation of the shape the set of target pixelsform from the target shape is acceptable and the set of target pixelsare considered to form substantially a target shape.

In 650, the identification module 320 may identify that the light sourceexists in the environment. After 650, the image processing device 120may execute operation 430 (shown in FIG. 4) to further evaluate theidentification.

In some embodiments, one or more operations may be added to or omittedfrom process 600. For example, a pre-processing operation may be addedbefore 640. Before detecting the target shape, the identification module320 may perform imaging enhancement process to the set of target pixels,which may improve the efficiency and accuracy of the shape detection. Insome embodiments, operations 630 and 640 may be performed in any orderor simultaneously. As another example, the operation 640 may be omitted.In other words, after determining that the grayscale values of a set oftarget pixels satisfy a condition relating to the grayscale level orrepresent a target light source in 630, the identification module 320may directly identify that the light source exists in the environment,regardless of the shape that the set of target pixels form.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for identifyinga light source in an environment according to some embodiments of thepresent disclosure. In some embodiments, the process 700 may beimplemented on the image processing system 100 as illustrated in FIG. 1.For example, the process 700 may be stored in a storage medium (e.g.,the storage 140, or the storage device 250 of the computing device 200)in the form of instructions, and invoked and/or executed by the imageprocessing device 120. The operations in the process 700 presented beloware intended to be illustrative. In some embodiments, the process 700may be accomplished with one or more additional operations notdescribed, and/or without one or more of the operations discussed.Additionally, the order in which the operations of the process 700 asillustrated in FIG. 7 and described below are not intended to belimiting. The process 700 provides an example of the identification of alight source as illustrated in 420.

In 710, the obtaining module 310 may receive an infrared image of anenvironment captured by an imaging apparatus (e.g., imaging apparatus110) in a first configuration. More descriptions of receiving theinfrared image may be found elsewhere in the present disclosure, e.g.,410 in FIG. 4, 610 in FIG. 6, and descriptions thereof. In someembodiments, the obtaining module 310 may send the infrared image of theenvironment to the identification module 320.

In 720, the identification module 320 may determine a grayscale level ofeach of a plurality of pixels in the infrared image. Operation 720 maybe similar to operation 620 and is not repeated herein.

In 730, the identification module 320 may determine, based on a shapedetection algorithm, whether a set of adjacent pixels among theplurality of pixels form substantially a target shape of the lightsource in the infrared image. More descriptions of determining thegrayscale level may be found elsewhere in the present disclosure (e.g.,640 in FIG. 6, and descriptions thereof). The identification module 320may determine adjacent pixels with the same or similar grayscale valueas an object. For example, if the target light source is the sun, thetarget shape of the light source may be a circle or a portion thereof.In some embodiments, the target shape may be a circle or an arc of acircle (e.g., in cases the sun being obscured by other objects or thesun being at the edge of the infrared image). The identification module320 may identify substantially a circle or an arc of a circle formed bya set of adjacent pixels using the shape detection algorithm and deemthe set of adjacent pixels corresponding to the sun. As another example,if the target light source is the steel making furnace, the target shapeof the light source may be a rectangle (when the image is captured froma side of the steel making furnace) or a circle (when the image iscaptured from the top of the steel making furnace). In some embodiments,the target shape may be a rectangle, a straight line of a rectangle, acircle, an arc of a circle, a shape formed by at least one arc and atleast one straight line (when the image is captured from an obliquedirection). The identification module 320 may identify substantially thetarget shape formed by a set of adjacent pixels using the shapedetection algorithm and deem the set of adjacent pixels corresponding tothe steel making furnace. In response to the determination that theplurality of pixels form substantially a target shape of the lightsource of interest (or referred to as a target light source) in theenvironment captured in the infrared image, process 700 may proceed to740; otherwise, process 700 may proceed back to 710.

In 740, for each of the at least one target shape, the identificationmodule 320 may determine a ratio of a number (or count) of pixels in theset of pixels forming substantially target shape that have grayscalelevels satisfying a preset grayscale level condition to a total number(or count) of pixels in the target shape. The identification module 320may first determine whether pixels in the set satisfy a grayscale levelcondition. The grayscale level condition may be a grayscale valuethreshold or a grayscale value range used to distinguish the targetlight source from other objects. Merely by way of example, the targetlight source is the sun; the grayscale value of the sun may be close toa saturated grayscale value (e.g., a maximum value) of the grayscaleimage. The corresponding grayscale value of the sun may be approximately16383 in the 14-bit grayscale image, which may be higher than themajority of objects. The preset grayscale level condition may be agrayscale value threshold slightly less than 16383, e.g., 15000, 16000,15563 (0.9*16383). The grayscale value threshold may be at least 60%, or70%, or 80%, or 90%, or higher than 90% of the grayscale value of thetarget light source captured in an image.

The identification module 320 may then determine the ratio of a number(or count) of pixels in the set of pixels forming substantially thetarget shape that have grayscale levels satisfying a preset grayscalelevel condition to a total number (or count) of pixels in the set. Forexample, the set of pixels forming substantially the target shape mayinclude 10000 pixels. If 9900 pixels of the set satisfy the presetgrayscale level condition, the ratio of a number (or count) of pixels inthe set that have grayscale levels satisfying a preset grayscale levelcondition to a total number (or count) of pixels in the set is 99%. Insome embodiments, the plurality of pixels may include more than one setof pixels, each set forming substantially a target shape of a lightsource in the infrared image in operation 730. The multiple targetshapes may be the same, similar, or different. In this case, theidentification module 320 may determine the ratio for each of the morethan one set. For example, the identification module 320 may determine afirst ratio for a first set of pixels forming substantially a firsttarget shape to be 90% and a second ratio for a second set of pixelsforming substantially a second target shape to be 80%. The first targetshape and the second target shape may be the same or different.

In 750, the identification module 320 may determine whether the ratiocorresponding to one of the at least one set of pixels formingsubstantially a target shape exceeds a ratio threshold. In response tothe determination that the ratio corresponding to one of the at leastone set of pixels exceeds a ratio threshold, process 700 may proceed to760; otherwise, process 700 may return to 710. In some embodiments,ratios corresponding to more than one of the at least one set may bedetermined to exceed the ratio threshold. In this case, all of the morethan one set may be identified as corresponding to light sources in 760or only one or fewer than all of the more than one set of pixels may beidentified as corresponding to the light source in 760. However, itshould be noted that identifying only one target shape as a light sourceis already sufficient for 420 in process 400 to proceed to operation430. Merely by way of example, if multiple sets of pixels formingsubstantially a target shape are identified, the set providing thehigher ratio of pixels satisfying a preset condition (e.g., a presetgrayscale level condition) may be selected as the result of theoperation 420.

In 760, the identification module 320 may identify that the light sourceexists in the environment. After 760, the image processing device 120may execute operation 430 (shown in FIG. 4) to further evaluate theidentification.

FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B are schematic diagrams illustrating examples ofchanging configurations of the imaging apparatus according to someembodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B are examplesof process 400 in FIG. 4 and/or operation 545 in FIG. 5. In someembodiments, the imaging device 804 may be an example of the imagingapparatus 110 (shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) or a portion thereof. Cameras801 and 802 may be cameras installed on the imaging device 804. In someembodiments, the camera 801 may be an infrared camera while the camera802 may be a visible light camera 118, or vice versa. The imaging device804 may be mounted on a pan-tilt head 803. The first configuration mayinclude the pan-tilt head being in a first position as shown in FIG. 8Aand FIG. 8B (e.g., a position such that the imaging apparatus orientsthe environment). The order for changing the imaging apparatus from thefirst configuration to the second configuration may include rotating thepan-tilt head 803 in a plane that is oblique or perpendicular to an axisconnecting the camera 801 and camera 802 (e.g., x-axis in FIG. 8A,y-axis in FIG. 8B). In FIG. 8A, cameras 801 and 802 are arrangedhorizontally, the pan-tilt head 803 may rotate in a YZ plane that isperpendicular to the x-axis to the second configuration. In FIG. 8B,cameras 801 and 802 are arranged vertically, the pan-tilt head 803 mayrotate in an XY plane that is perpendicular to the z-axis to the secondconfiguration.

FIG. 9 is schematic diagrams illustrating an exemplary infrared imageaccording to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown inFIG. 9, the infrared image 900 may include various light sources (orobjects). Adjacent pixels with a same or similar grayscale value may beregarded as corresponding to a same light source. The infrared image 900may include light sources 901 to 904. The identification module 320 mayidentify 901 as a round light source, such as the sun, a lamp, or thelike. The identification module 320 may identify 902 as a rectangularlight source, such as a storage box, a steel making furnace, or thelike. Light source 903 may be identified as a low-intensity lightsource, such as a jet flame, a lighted match, or the like. Theidentification module 320 may identify 904 as a light source with a longshape, such as a wire, or the like.

It should be noted that the above description is merely provided for thepurposes of illustration, and not intended to limit the scope of thepresent disclosure. For persons having ordinary skill in the art,multiple variations and modifications may be made under the teachings ofthe present disclosure. However, those variations and modifications donot depart from the scope of the present disclosure.

Having thus described the basic concepts, it may be rather apparent tothose skilled in the art after reading this detailed disclosure that theforegoing detailed disclosure is intended to be presented by way ofexample only and is not limiting. Various alterations, improvements, andmodifications may occur and are intended to those skilled in the art,though not expressly stated herein. These alterations, improvements, andmodifications are intended to be suggested by this disclosure, and arewithin the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of thisdisclosure.

Moreover, certain terminology has been used to describe embodiments ofthe present disclosure. For example, the terms “one embodiment,” “anembodiment,” and/or “some embodiments” mean that a particular feature,structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodimentis included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.Therefore, it is emphasized and should be appreciated that two or morereferences to “an embodiment” or “one embodiment” or “an alternativeembodiment” in various portions of this specification are notnecessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, theparticular features, structures or characteristics may be combined assuitable in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

Further, it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects ofthe present disclosure may be illustrated and described herein in any ofa number of patentable classes or context including any new and usefulprocess, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new anduseful improvement thereof. Accordingly, aspects of the presentdisclosure may be implemented entirely hardware, entirely software(including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or combiningsoftware and hardware implementation that may all generally be referredto herein as a “unit,” “module,” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects ofthe present disclosure may take the form of a computer program productembodied in one or more computer readable media having computer readableprogram code embodied thereon.

Furthermore, the recited order of processing elements or sequences, orthe use of numbers, letters, or other designations therefore, is notintended to limit the claimed processes and methods to any order exceptas may be specified in the claims. Although the above disclosurediscusses through various examples what is currently considered to be avariety of useful embodiments of the disclosure, it is to be understoodthat such detail is solely for that purpose, and that the appendedclaims are not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on thecontrary, are intended to cover modifications and equivalentarrangements that are within the spirit and scope of the disclosedembodiments. For example, although the implementation of variouscomponents described above may be embodied in a hardware device, it mayalso be implemented as a software only solution, e.g., an installationon an existing server or mobile device.

Similarly, it should be appreciated that in the foregoing description ofembodiments of the present disclosure, various features are sometimesgrouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereoffor the purpose of streamlining the disclosure aiding in theunderstanding of one or more of the various embodiments. This method ofdisclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intentionthat the claimed subject matter requires more features than areexpressly recited in each claim. Rather, claimed subject matter may liein less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment.

We claim:
 1. An apparatus, comprising: a processor; and a storage devicestoring instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause theapparatus to perform operations including: receiving an infrared imageof an environment captured by an imaging apparatus in a firstconfiguration; identifying, based on the infrared image, that a lightsource exists in the environment captured in the infrared image, whereinthe light source is identified based on grayscale levels of pixels of anobject in the infrared image and a shape of the object matching a presetshape; and generating an order for changing the imaging apparatus fromthe first configuration to a second configuration.
 2. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the identifying, based on the infrared image, that alight source exists in the environment captured in the infrared imagecomprises: determining a grayscale level of each of a plurality ofpixels in the infrared image; determining, based on the grayscale levelsof the plurality of pixels, a set of target pixels from the plurality ofpixels, wherein the grayscale of each of the set of target pixelssatisfies a grayscale level condition; determining, based on a shapedetection algorithm, that the set of target pixels forms a target shapeof the light source in the infrared image; and in response to thedetermination that the set of target pixels forms the target shape ofthe light source in the infrared image, identifying that the lightsource exists in the environment.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe identifying, based on the infrared image, that a light source existsin the environment captured in the infrared image comprises: determininga grayscale level of each of a plurality of pixels in the infraredimage; determining, based on a shape detection algorithm, that theplurality of pixels form at least one target shape of the light sourcein the infrared image; and for each of the at least one target shape,determining a ratio of a count of pixels in the target shape that havegrayscale levels satisfying a grayscale level condition to a total countof pixels in the target shape; determining that the ratio correspondingto one of the at least one target shape exceeds a ratio threshold; andin response to the determination that the ratio corresponding to one ofthe at least one target shape exceeds the ratio threshold, identifyingthat the light source exists in the environment.
 4. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein when executed by the processor, the instructions causethe apparatus to perform additional operations including: beforegenerating the order for changing the imaging apparatus from the firstconfiguration to the second configuration, determining whether theidentification of existence of the light source in the environment is acorrect identification; and in response to the determination that theidentification of existence of the light source in the environment is acorrect identification, generating the order for changing the imagingapparatus from the first configuration to the second configuration. 5.The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the determining whether theidentification of existence of the light source in the environment is acorrect identification comprises: receiving at least one referenceinfrared image captured by the imaging apparatus in the firstconfiguration, wherein the at least one reference infrared image iscaptured later than a time when the infrared image is captured by a timeinterval; identifying that the light source exists in the environmentcaptured in the reference infrared image; and in response to theidentification that the light source exists in the environment capturedin the reference infrared image, confirming that the identification ofexistence of the light source in the environment captured in theinfrared image is a correct identification.
 6. The apparatus of claim 4,wherein the determining whether the identification of existence of thelight source in the environment is a correct identification comprises:determining at least one environment parameter associated with the lightsource at a time when the infrared image is captured; determining thatthe at least one environment parameter satisfies at least oneenvironment condition, and in response to the determination that the atleast one environment parameter satisfies the at least one environmentcondition, determining that the identification of existence of the lightsource in the environment captured in the infrared image is a correctidentification.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the infrared imageis captured by a thermal imaging device in the imaging apparatus when ashutter of the thermal imaging device is open, and the order forchanging the imaging apparatus from the first configuration to thesecond configuration includes changing status of the shutter of thethermal imaging device from open to closed.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the order for changing the imaging apparatus from the firstconfiguration to the second configuration includes temporarily removingan optical filter of an imaging device in the imaging apparatus.
 9. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the imaging apparatus includes at leastone imaging device installed on a pan-tilt head, and the order forchanging the imaging apparatus from the first configuration to thesecond configuration includes rotating the pan-tilt head to change anorientation of the at least one imaging device in the imaging apparatusfrom a first orientation to a second orientation.
 10. The apparatus ofclaim 9, wherein the at least one imaging device includes a visiblelight imaging device and a thermal imaging device, and when the visiblelight imaging device and the thermal imaging device are configured alongan axis, the order for changing the imaging apparatus from the firstconfiguration to the second configuration includes rotating the pan-tilthead in a plane that is oblique or perpendicular to the axis.
 11. Amethod implemented on a computing device having at least one processorand at least one storage medium, the method comprising: receiving aninfrared image of an environment captured by an imaging apparatus in afirst configuration; identifying, based on the infrared image, that alight source exists in the environment captured in the infrared image,wherein the light source is identified based on grayscale levels ofpixels of an object in the infrared image and a shape of the objectmatching a preset shape; and generating an order for changing theimaging apparatus from the first configuration to a secondconfiguration.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying,based on the infrared image, that a light source exists in theenvironment captured in the infrared image comprises: determining agrayscale level of each of a plurality of pixels in the infrared image;determining, based on the grayscale levels of the plurality of pixels, aset of target pixels from the plurality of pixels, wherein the grayscaleof each of the set of target pixels satisfies a grayscale levelcondition; determining, based on a shape detection algorithm, that theset of target pixels forms a target shape of the light source in theinfrared image; and in response to the determination that the set oftarget pixels forms the target shape of the light source in the infraredimage, identifying that the light source exists in the environment. 13.The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying, based on the infraredimage, that a light source exists in the environment captured in theinfrared image comprises: determining a grayscale level of each of aplurality of pixels in the infrared image; determining, based on a shapedetection algorithm, that the plurality of pixels form at least onetarget shape of the light source in the infrared image; and for each ofthe at least one target shape, determining a ratio of a count of pixelsin the target shape that have grayscale levels satisfying a grayscalelevel condition to a total count of pixels in the target shape;determining that the ratio corresponding to one of the at least onetarget shape exceeds a ratio threshold; and in response to thedetermination that the ratio corresponding to one of the at least onetarget shape exceeds the ratio threshold, identifying that the lightsource exists in the environment.
 14. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising: before generating the order for changing the imagingapparatus from the first configuration to the second configuration,determining whether the identification of existence of the light sourcein the environment is a correct identification; and in response to thedetermination that the identification of existence of the light sourcein the environment is a correct identification, generating the order forchanging the imaging apparatus from the first configuration to thesecond configuration.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein thedetermining whether the identification of existence of the light sourcein the environment is a correct identification comprises: receiving atleast one reference infrared image captured by the imaging apparatus inthe first configuration, wherein the at least one reference infraredimage is captured later than a time when the infrared image is capturedby a time interval; identifying that the light source exists in theenvironment captured in the reference infrared image; and in response tothe identification that the light source exists in the environmentcaptured in the reference infrared image, confirming that theidentification of existence of the light source in the environmentcaptured in the infrared image is a correct identification.
 16. Themethod of claim 14, wherein the determining whether the identificationof existence of the light source in the environment is a correctidentification comprises: determining at least one environment parameterassociated with the light source at a time when the infrared image iscaptured; determining that the at least one environment parametersatisfies at least one environment condition, and in response to thedetermination that the at least one environment parameter satisfies theat least one environment condition, determining that the identificationof existence of the light source in the environment captured in theinfrared image is a correct identification.
 17. The method of claim 11,wherein the infrared image is captured by a thermal imaging device inthe imaging apparatus when a shutter of the thermal imaging device isopen, and the order for changing the imaging apparatus from the firstconfiguration to the second configuration includes changing status ofthe shutter of the thermal imaging device from open to closed.
 18. Themethod of claim 11, wherein the imaging apparatus includes at least oneimaging device installed on a pan-tilt head, and the order for changingthe imaging apparatus from the first configuration to the secondconfiguration includes rotating the pan-tilt head to change anorientation of the at least one imaging device in the imaging apparatusfrom a first orientation to a second orientation.
 19. The method ofclaim 18, wherein the at least one imaging device includes a visiblelight imaging device and a thermal imaging device, and when the visiblelight imaging device and the thermal imaging device are configured alongan axis, the order for changing the imaging apparatus from the firstconfiguration to the second configuration includes rotating the pan-tilthead in a plane that is oblique or perpendicular to the axis.
 20. Anon-transitory computer readable medium embodying a computer programproduct, the computer program product comprising instructions configuredto cause a computing device to: receive an infrared image of anenvironment captured by an imaging apparatus in a first configuration;identify, based on the infrared image, that a light source exists in theenvironment captured in the infrared image, wherein the light source isidentified based on grayscale levels of pixels of an object in theinfrared image and a shape of the object matching a preset shape; andgenerate an order for changing the imaging apparatus from the firstconfiguration to a second configuration.